The Elora Festival is hitting the right notes for its 34th season, with a new focus and a line-up of performers that celebrates the festival’s past and future.
Artistic director Noel Edison is happy with the summer schedule that includes 24 performances in three venues from July 12 to Aug. 4.
“I’m happy with the diversity of the line-up. It’s more diverse than it has been in the past,” Edison said.
The launch of the new season took place on April 10 at the Drew House Bed and Breakfast.
On hand were representatives from the Township of Centre Wellington, a representative from MPP Ted Arnott’s office and various festival volunteers and staff members.
Edison remarked on each of the shows, offering a perspective on how the program will appeal to a wide audience, beginning with the July 12 performance of Verdi’s Requiem at the Gambrel Barn in honour of Verdi’s 200th anniversary, performed by soloists and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Elora Festival Singers (EFS) and Elora Festival Orchestra (EFO).
Performances by the New Zealand String Quartet and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra featuring Isabel Bayrakdarian are expected to be well received by audiences.
Edison said the arrival of the Moscow String Quartet is a rare opportunity, as the festival will be its “only Canadian appearance this year.”
The Toronto Masque Theatre will join the EFS for a performance of Handel’s chamber opera, Acis and Galatea.
A performance by Sonic Escape, three Juilliard graduates, will bring a lively performance with Circle the Sea.
“They make it fun and exciting,” Edison said.
The 100th Anniversary of Benjamin Britten will be a celebration of the acclaimed artist’s works, performed at St. John’s Church.
Leahy and Steven Page are well known Canadian acts, sure to attract audiences of all ages.
Coronation will be a celebration of the Queen’s 60th anniversary, which Edison said will include video footage of the event paired with actors performing a short re-enactment of the spectacle.
“I want all the ladies to come in fascinators,” said Sharon Rice, lead administrator of the festival, suggesting audiences make Coronation a Royal affair.
The Mikado on Aug. 3 will be a showcase of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operetta.
“I have a special cast of eight soloists,” Edison said, adding the performance requires tenacity. “You have to be a Gilbert and Sullivan specialist to pull this off.”
With many other performances on the schedule, Edison says the Aug. 4 finale of Show Tunes will be a cabaret event.
“It’s a party of show tunes,” Edison said, noting the stage will move to the centre of the Gambrel Barn.
“The series is a taste of what the community loves.”
Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj was present for the launch, telling the audience, “The whole program is such a signature of our community.”
She referred to the pride she feels when other communities recognize the festival as “a pride I share with each and every one of you.”
Key to that sense of community is the role played by more than 300 volunteers who make the festival happen.
“We’re trying to get back to our roots as a volunteer organization and that has been very successful,” said Jeff Ostic, chair of the festival’s board of directors.
“This has been a particularly difficult year for our organization, and all arts organizations,” Ostic added, noting changes in staffing roles and support of volunteers has helped the organization navigate the financial challenges.
“We have had our challenges in the last year, but the board has embraced them and tackled them,” said Edison. “It’s very encouraging.”
It’s a trend Edison sees in his involvement with the arts in Toronto. He credits the support of the sponsors that have stuck by the festival and the new ones who are investing in the future.
“We’ve had to secure our financial base and secure our future,” he said. “I’m not worried about our future.”
Edison is excited about the 2013 Juno Award nomination for the EFS’s I Saw Eternity CD (the winner will be determined at the national award show on April 21 in Regina).
“The Juno Award nomination is something we are exceptionally excited about,” said Ostic.
Edison’s confidence in this summer’s festival stems from the support of the community.
“It’s a craft, an event, and it’s so much a part of the lifeblood of this community.”
For tickets or more information, visit www.elorafestvial.com.
